Browns notebook: Cleveland to play waiting game

Wednesday

Dec 26, 2007 at 12:01 AMDec 26, 2007 at 4:11 AM

Titans must lose, unless long-shot tie would occur

Steve Doerschuk

With San Francisco due, the Browns pray they didn’t leave hearts in Cincinnati.
Prepare to fly to San Diego, or pack up the 2007 season and go home. That’s how the coming Monday after shapes up for the Browns, with the race for the second of two AFC wild-card spots down to Cleveland and Tennessee.
The Browns’ game against the 49ers will end at about 4 p.m. Sunday. Odds are about 500-to-1 it won’t matter if they win or lose, and must wait to see how the 8:15 p.m. Tennessee-at-Indianapolis game plays out.
Suppose the Browns lose to San Francisco and finish at 9-7. If Indianapolis beats Tennessee, the Browns make the playoffs anyway.
That’s because both teams would be 9-7, and the tiebreaker that would apply would be records against AFC foes -- Cleveland’s would be better, 7-5 to 6-6.
If the Browns win, but Tennessee also wins, the Titans will get the second wild-card spot. That’s because both teams would be 10-6. Both teams would be 7-5 against AFC foes, so the next tiebreaker would kick in: record against common opponents. Tennessee has that advantage.
However, there’s that longshot chance a win would be decisive for Cleveland.
That would be the case only if the Titans and Colts tie.
Cleveland would be 10-6. Tennessee would be 9-6-1.
For what it’s worth, the Browns were affected by the last tie recorded in the NFL, where ties are rare because of the sudden-death overtime system.
The tie was between Pittsburgh and Atlanta on Nov. 10, 2002, a week after the Steelers won 23-20 at Cleveland.
The Steelers and Falcons got to the end of the 15-minute extra session still tied at 34. For reasons relating to fatigue, the NFL limits overtimes to one period.
Had Pittsburgh won, the Steelers would have finished at 11-5, earning a first-round bye. Instead, the Steelers had to play a first-round game against Cleveland.
The Pittsburgh-Atlanta game is the NFL’s only tie since the Browns came in 1999.
If the Browns get in, odds are their first-round game will be at San Diego. That would be the case if the Chargers win at Oakland on Sunday (4:15 kickoff) to clinch the No. 3 seed.
If San Diego loses, and Pittsburgh wins at Baltimore, the Steelers would be the No. 3 seed, hosting the No. 6 seed, Cleveland or Tennessee.
One more note on possible ties: If Cleveland ties the 49ers and Tennessee loses, the Browns go to the playoffs. If the Browns and Titans both tie their opponents on Sunday, Tennessee advances, and pigs fly.
‘On, Wisconsin’
Maybe Joe Thomas can lead the Browns in a few choruses of the Wisconsin Badgers fight song.
The Browns must hope that Jim Sorgi, an ex-Badger who helped persuade Thomas to attend Wisconsin, can lead Indianapolis past Tennessee on Sunday night.
“I know Jim Sorgi’s going to play at least a half,” Colts Coach Tony Dungy told local media. “I don’t know if he’ll get in the game, if he’ll get in the first half.”
That means Peyton Manning would play the first two quarters, at the most.
Sorgi, 27, is tall and skinny by NFL standards.
He joined the Colts as a sixth-round pick, No. 193 overall, in 2004. Derek Anderson was a sixth-round pick, No. 213 overall, a year later.
Sorgi was 3-of-5 for 26 yards in mop-up duty in Sunday’s 44-20 win at Baltimore.
In four appearances this year, he is 17-of-29 for 175 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
In 13 career appearances, with no starts in four seasons, he is 66-of-102 for 683 yards, with five TDs, one interception, four sacks and a 96.2 rating.
Help wanted
Dungy can do Browns Coach Romeo Crennel a huge favor by playing his starters long enough to beat Tennessee.
For what it’s worth, Crennel did some of his best work as New England’s defensive coordinator against Dungy.
In the 2003 AFC finals, Crennel’s defense played a key role in a 24-14 win over the Colts.
In the 2004 AFC divisional round, Crennel’s unit was even better in a 20-3 conquest of Manning and Co.
“I think Tony’s going to do what’s best for his team, whether that affects the ‘integrity’ or not,” Crennel said. “He’s in the playoffs, and if he chooses not to play his starters, that’s his choice.
“He’s not really worried about my team.”
The linger factor
Crennel knows a win over the 49ers probably won’t impact the playoff situation, yet, he said:
“I think we need to win that game. I want to win that game.”
He thinks digging out of a 19-0 hole of Cincinnati counts for something, even though the outcome was a 19-14 loss.
“This team continues to show some resiliency, some fight,” he said.
Beating the 49ers would put the Browns on a good note if they make the playoffs or heading into 2008.
“We have to get over the loss,” Crennel said. “If we let this disappointment linger, then we’ll lose on Sunday. I’m not looking to do that.”
Extra points
- The Browns have serious issues on the defense line. Starting nose tackle Ethan Kelly was placed on injured reserve Monday with a knee injury and Orpheus Roye (foot) and Robaire Smith (neck) left Cincinnati with injuries. ... Backup safety Mike Adams also was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. He has played mostly special teams.
- This is Crennel’s way of saying he doesn’t give Anderson a pass for having to deal with those awful Ohio River winds: “I think that there were a couple of throws that he would like to have back.”
- The Browns trailed just 6-0 late in the first half before Anderson threw two interceptions resulting in touchdowns. Crennel doesn’t think the smarter play would have been to run the clock out. “I regret we threw the picks, that’s what I regret,” he said.
- Crennel swatted away the notion the Browns took Cincinnati lightly: “I don’t think that guys were full of themselves. Overall, they played hard.”
Canton Repository